Costa Rican Legislators Want GPS Tracking Systems Out of Their Cars

GPS tracking systems are currently installed in the “official” vehicles of legislators in Costa Rica. This week 29 of the 55 Legislators announced that they want the GPS tracking systems removed from their cars. The group of Legislators has come together to protest the use of tracking devices in their vehicles, claiming it is a breach of their powers as representatives of a supreme power.

Juan Carlos Mendoza, the Chairman of the Legislature, said that tracking systems will stay in place as they form part of the security measures for the legislators. Mendoza said the GPS tracking systems generate savings to the government for the payment of travel expenses and also provides security for the Legislators.

According to Mendoza and the Legislature’s executive director, Antonio Ayala, they have seen a significant fuel savings in travel and legislative budget since the installation of the tracking system. Maybe this is where the problem lies, legislators cannot anymore “fudge” their travel expenses and can be located – at least their vehicles – at any given time, the Costa Rica News reported.

This is not the first time legislators have complained about the use of GPS tracking systems in their vehicles. In fact this is the third collective complaint of a system that was installed in February 2010.